Page 48 of Duplicity

Before the elevator doors closed, a hand slammed against the left side. “Alvarez! We got a call, officer in distress!” A patrol sergeant came into view. “It’s Romeo.”

NINETEEN

Peter drove faster than she would have. Simon sat beside her in the back seat, his laptop still open. But he wasn’t looking at it. He was looking at her.

The concern in his expression warmed her heart. She leaned over and put her head on his shoulder. Simon slid his hand over, and she didn’t think about it. She just slid hers underneath and curled her fingers between his.

“A couple of years ago, Romeo was on shift, working. A house exploded. It had to do with this local group at a compound, the FBI agent who is Bob’s daughter, and Detective Hummet. It was a whole thing, but the gist is that Romeo was in critical condition for a few days. He bounced back, but…”

She had to stop and collect herself.

“No one else was hurt?” Peter asked the question from the driver’s seat but didn’t turn his head.

“Other cops were there. I think Samantha Jesse got hurt.” She bit her lip. “I was working at the movie theater. I’d just finished college and had no idea what I was going to do next. But when the call went out, I wasn’t in the loop because I’m not a cop. They called my dad, who left me a voicemail. I couldn’tcheck my phone until the end of my shift, which was two in the morning.”

She sucked in a choppy breath. “I didn’t know. I rushed over to the hospital, and it was full of cops who’d been there for hours.”

Being left out of the loop had hurt so bad, knowing her brother had been fighting for his life and she might’ve missed the chance to say goodbye. She had seen only one way to beinthe loop next time. Even though there would, hopefully, never be a repeat of that tormenting type of waiting. Praying. Hoping he would pull through.

“But he healed.” Simon’s breath brushed her forehead.

If she nodded, that would dislodge this closeness, so she stayed still. She’d used the f-word.Friends.Could she handle that? It would be far too hard to continue to get to know him, to learn even more amazing things about him and how strong he had to be to have survived, and watch him eventually fall for someone else.

Resigning them to being only friends was the safe option.

It left her without the need to take any steps. Or risk anything. Friendships had far more boundaries than a relationship. Of course, she took plenty of risks outside of relationships. She was the one who’d joined the police department when everyone said she didn’t need to do that. Shouldn’t. Couldn’t.Don’t be silly.

As if just being a girl, or being Catalina, meant she would get herself killed.

That wasn’t what happened. It was her partner who had lost his life. Even if everyone knew she couldn’t have stopped it, and it wasn’t like Ellis had shoved her out of the way and taken the bullet, she still saw how the other officers looked at her. The whispers. The insinuation that she should have saved him.

Peter pulled over to the side of the street and parked, whipping into a tiny space that made her breath hitch. He shoved out his door a second later.

“Come on.” Simon squeezed her hand and let go.

She hesitated. Why couldn’t she just cling to him? Because she was a strong woman who stood on her own two feet. But couldn’t she be both of those women?

Independent and reliant.

Brave and concerned.

A friend…and something more.

She slid over and got out on his side. Simon touched the small of her back and left his hand there. She asked, “Is it just me, or has this been the longest day ever?”

He smiled. “I slept in a chair last night.”

Cat sighed. “I need some chair time.” She glanced up at the sky. “Can’t even see the stars downtown. There is way too much light.”

He gave her an odd look but said nothing as they approached the crowd of cops. Onlookers. Emergency vehicles, mostly police cars and one ambulance. The rear doors were open, but since it was parked facing them, she couldn’t see inside.

The officer on crowd control recognized her and lifted his chin. “Back of the bus.”

“Thanks.” She headed for the ambulance and peered around the doors the first chance she could get. “Romeo.”

He sat on the gurney, his feet on the floor. Full uniform, all the stuff on his belt nudging the sheet under him. Slightly pink cheeks beneath his tanned skin. The EMT sat in front of him, shining a light at his face. He winced and turned to her, blood running down the side of his face.

Oh, no.

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